Change of Heart
by theperksofbeinglarissa
Summary: After the war is over, the paladins settle in on Earth while their new ship is being constructed. Everything is going well, except that Lance can't seem to keep his cool around Keith. Something has changed between the two of them and they both know it. What's it going to take for them to figure it out?
1. Baby Steps

The war was over. Earth was safe. But the final battle had left the Paladins with more questions than answers. The comatose Altean in the Med Bay, for instance. Who was she? What was she doing inside the giant robot that nearly put an end to Voltron?

These questions plagued the minds of all of the Paladins. They waited with bated breath for the Altean girl to wake up. In the meantime, they busied themselves around the Garrison, helping in whatever way they could.

Hunk and Pidge were hard at work in the science and engineering division with Coran and Allura. The new Castle of Lions wasn't going to build itself, after all. And as cool as the Atlas was, it wasn't quite what they needed.

Shiro was subbing for some of the teachers injured in the battle, doing his best to get the Garrison students back on track after all they'd been through. Adam still weighed heavy on his mind. He tried to hide it, but everyone could see he was suffering. Keith had done his best to console him after he'd heard the news, as had everyone. As always, Shiro put on a brave face and kept moving forward, insisting he was fine, but they all knew it would be a while before he was back to his old self.

Keith and Lance were putting their rivalry to good use teaching competing classes of fighter pilots. After all, nothing put a fire under someone better than good old-fashioned competition. They ran drills, held races; all fun and games aside, though, Keith and Lance were no pushovers when it came to disciplining their students. They both knew what it felt like to be on the wrong end of a disciplinary meeting, and they made sure their students understood that selfish rebellion only got you so far.

Everyone had been assigned quarters in the staff dormitories while their ship was being built. As it was, not many people had homes left to go back to. The Galra had done a number on Earth, and most of its larger cities were nothing but rubble. Humanity was tough, though. They would rebuild, stronger than ever as a beacon of peace for those devastated by the Galra Empire.

X

Months flew by and everything seemed to be going well. There had been no changes in the Altean girl's comatose state, but her vitals were holding steady, and Allura had high hopes of reaching her - somehow.

Allura spent most of her time in the Med Bay with the Altean. When she wasn't there or helping with the new Castle of Lions, she found herself spending a lot of time around the other Paladins, Lance in particular.

Lance wasn't blind, he'd noticed the change in Allura's behavior towards him. Six months ago her change in attitude would have sent Lance through the roof, but something was different now. After everything they'd been through, something about the way Allura looked at him felt… off. Not that there was anything wrong with her, it was _Lance_. He saw the obvious and growing affection in her eyes, in the way she talked to him, but it didn't give him the sense of elation he'd expected it to.

On the other hand, there was Keith. He and Lance had grown much closer since the final battle, though it had taken time. Two years was a long time to be away from someone, and it took Keith a while to become accustomed to Lance's over-enthusiastic personality again.

The two of them were on pretty solid ground these days. Recently, though, Lance had started to pull away. It wasn't like he was obvious about it. They still hung out and hosted competitions for their classes to duke it out every so often - it kept morale high. They sat next to each other at dinner every night with the other Paladins - a tradition everyone wanted to keep going, a sense of normalcy amongst the chaos of their lives.

But Lance was clearly troubled, obvious in the way he had a hard time holding eye contact with Keith or how he jerked away anytime their hands accidentally brushed at dinner. Most of the other Paladins were none the wiser, but Shiro had noticed. He always noticed the things no one else did. It was part of what made him such a good leader.

Shiro watched Lance for a few weeks, taking careful notice of anything out of character. It wasn't hard to see what the problem was, at least not for Shiro, who had watched someone else close to him go through the same thing once upon a time. It was also obvious that Lance had no idea what was going on inside his own heart. If Shiro didn't do something soon, he was afraid the poor boy was going to explode from all the internalized stress. They needed to have a talk.

X

"How did you know you were gay?"

Shiro nearly choked on his bagel. _"What?"_

Lance looked him dead in the face. "How. Did you. Know. You were gay?" he said, punctuating each word for effect.

Lance always had been the straightforward type.

"Why do you ask?"

At this, Lance paused. His eyes wandered for a moment before settling on the table below, the bravado from only moments ago vanished.

Shiro took this as a sign that Lance wasn't ready to talk about it, or maybe he didn't even know why himself. Either way, Shiro wouldn't push. _Baby steps._

"Well, it wasn't so much a realization for me as it was -" Shiro paused, considering, "well, it was just the way I was."

Lance listened intently as Shiro continued.

"Adam wasn't my first - not the first man I'd been with, I mean. I was Adam's, though."

This surprised Lance. Shiro almost seemed to be looking _through_ Lance, not so much _at_ him as he continued.

"Adam knew I was gay. I never tried to hide it from anyone, and I certainly didn't think it would be right to hide it from the person I'd be sharing a room with."

"You and Adam were roommates?"

"When we were students here at the Garrison, yeah." Shiro smiled, a kind of bittersweet look passing over his face. Happy memories mixed with fresh grief. "He took it pretty well, all things considered," he continued. "A little shocked maybe. Apparently, he'd never met someone who was openly gay before. He came from a small country town, so it wasn't all that surprising."

"A country boy, huh?" Lance waggled his eyebrows suggestively, shit eating grin spread wide across his tan cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up," Shiro replied, waving the comment off. "He didn't act like a country kid, though. Seemed like he never really fit in there. That's why he came to the Garrison - he was looking for a place to belong."

Lance could understand that. All too well.

"Adam and I were best friends for the longest time. Around our senior year, though, Adam started to act differently. Little things at first - freezing up when I'd hug him or quickly looking away when I caught him staring. It was cute."

Lance felt a slight flush rise in his cheeks. That sounded… familiar.

"It just got worse the closer we got to graduation. He seemed to be dancing around something; trying to tell me something but not quite sure how to do it." Shiro chuckled a little, that dreamy look in his eyes. "That idiot waited until five minutes before we were about to go on stage and get our diplomas to finally confess. He was red as a beet and he couldn't even look me in the eyes. He practically shouted at me that he liked me."

Lance was so wrapped up in Shiro's story that he hadn't noticed Keith enter the room. He stood in the doorway, listening to a story he'd heard a thousand times. He never appreciated the romance of it as a kid, but now he understood. It was sweet.

"Tell him how embarrassed Adam was when you asked him to be your boyfriend in front of your entire graduating class." Lance jumped like a spooked cat, whipping around to find Keith leaning against the doorframe with that devious smirk plastered across his face.

 _That smile should be illegal._

"How was I supposed to know they'd turned the microphone on?" Shiro replied indignantly. "He said yes, anyway and that's all that matters."

"What brought this up?" Keith asked, pulling up a chair next to Lance. If he noticed the way Lance stiffened up when he scooted closer, he didn't show it.

Shiro's dreamy smile took a mischievous turn. "Oh, well Lance here was just asking -"

"Gotta go!" Lance yelped, interrupting Shiro before he could embarrass him further.

Keith looked startled. "Where?" he questioned, brows drawn together in confusion. "Your last class ended an hour ago and you aren't scheduled to run any drills today."

Why did Keith know his schedule that well?

"I uh -" Lance scrambled, trying to find some excuse to remove himself from this situation as quickly as possible.

"Besides, I thought we could go out tonight. Figured you'd be itching for that pool rematch after last week."

Lance went from red with embarrassment to indignant in seconds.

 _Oh yeah, that._

"Oh, you're on, Mullet! There's no way I'm losing to you and your stupid hair this time!"

Shiro smiled as he watched Lance practically drag Keith from his chair, muttering something about Keith cheating and him just having an off night. Their banter faded out as they got further and further from the break room.

"Well, I hope he got something out of that, at least," Shiro said quietly to himself, picking at his half-eaten bagel as he stared out the window, the sunset painting the sky outside with brilliant shades of orange and purple.


	2. So Close Yet So Far

Keith wasn't an idiot. A little dense, maybe, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed Lance pulling away. The canceled plans or the way he avoided making eye contact for more than a few seconds at a time.

At first, he thought maybe he'd done something wrong. The two of them had been on pretty good terms lately and then all of a sudden Lance started acting weird. Keith was all gung-ho to apologize for whatever it was he'd done to piss Lance off, but then he noticed something.

Keith and Lance had been arguing - as they so often did - over how to run the drills for their pilot classes one morning. Lance had gotten pretty riled up and Keith just wasn't having any of it. He'd dealt with enough of Lance's bull for one morning. Keith got right up in Lance's face with the most intense look he could muster. There was no getting a word in edgewise when Lance was going off like that, so there was no point in trying. But Keith had a wicked glare, and he knew it.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was Lance's reaction. Lance backpedaled so quickly he tripped and landed flat on his ass, nearly taking out a group of students who'd gathered around to watch the fight. Keith and Lance's arguments were practically a spectator sport amongst their students. Everything happened so quickly, however, that Lance didn't have time to hide the massive blush spreading across his face and down his neck. Keith had never seen him so red, not even around Allura.

Keith helped him up and Lance brushed it off, muttering insults as he walked off towards his students. But Keith couldn't let go of the incident so easily. Lance's expression as he stared up at Keith from the ground was etched into his memory, and wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. He'd looked embarrassed, yes, but there was something else. He'd almost looked… enamored.

This had been a startling revelation for Keith, to say the least. Not so much that Lance might be into guys - Lance had always been pretty open-minded and he flirted with just about anything that moved - but that he might be into... Keith?

Keith had always thought Lance was attractive. Even back when they were in the Garrison together. But his personality had ruined any romantic notions Keith might have had for the guy.

Now, though, Keith knew Lance better. He knew that the obnoxious playboy exterior wasn't all there was to Lance. He could be compassionate, loyal - sometimes to a fault - and genuinely kind.

It didn't take Keith long to realize that Lance had no clue how to interpret how he was feeling. Which was just as well since Keith hadn't worked out his own feelings about the situation yet either.

Keith had known he was gay since middle school. The realization had come about at a pretty dark time in his life, but Shiro had helped him figure it all out. It was obvious by the way he was acting, however, that Lance wasn't quite so clear on his own sexuality.

He was getting there, though.

X

"Quiznack!" Lance shrieked as Keith sunk yet another ball.

"How many does that make, five?" Keith pondered mockingly, already knowing the answer but enjoying the irritated look on Lance's face.

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in, pretty boy. I'll win the next round, you just watch!" Lance replied indignantly as he racked up the pool balls for another game.

Keith smiled. "Pretty boy, Huh?"

Lance paled. "Uhh…" He couldn't think of anything to say. For once, Lance's motor mouth was stalled.

 _Great. Just stand there and gape at him. 'Cause that's attractive._

Keith just laughed and let the comment slide. He enjoyed seeing Lance all nervous and flustered, but he didn't want to push him too far. All of this was new to Lance, and if Keith pushed him into a corner, Lance might try to suppress it or avoid it in order to escape.

Keith still wasn't sure exactly how he felt about Lance. The more he looked at it, the more he understood that they weren't just teammates anymore. Against all odds the two of them had become really close, though they didn't show it most of the time. They relied on each other. When Keith needed someone to talk to he went to Lance - or Shiro, but mostly Lance these days if he was honest. Lance did the same whenever he felt insecure or needed someone to bounce his thoughts off of.

They'd become like best friends. But seeing Lance blush like that and get flustered whenever Keith got too close gave him a warm feeling he couldn't quite put into words. Keith was starting to think that it might be possible for the two of them to become something more. If Lance could pull his head out of his ass and figure out what he actually wanted, that is.

Two more games and two more losses for Lance. An expert shot he may be, but a decent pool player he most certainly was not. He was getting very frustrated. Not just at the fact he kept losing, but at the part of him that wanted to win, if only to impress the raven-haired boy leaning over the pool table, lining up his next shot.

Looking at Keith in that position had been a mistake. Lance's eyes wandered of their own accord along Keith's figure. From his defined biceps peeking out of the sleeves of his signature black t-shirt, down his muscular shoulders, along the curve of his spine.

Those two years in the abyss had done wonders for Keith's figure, and Lance would be a fool not to notice. And notice he did. With increasing frequency. And like now, he had trouble stopping himself once he got started.

 _Who the hell gave him the right to look so good? There should be laws against having an ass like that. And sticking it out like that while he's leaning over a pool table…_

 _*gulp*_

It took every ounce of self-control that Lance possessed to tear his eyes away from Keith as he leaned up off the pool table, having sunk two balls in one shot. He was smirking about it, too.

 _Smug bastard._

"Alright, alright move over," Lance declared. He wasn't about to let Keith beat him again. His pride couldn't take much more of this.

As he leaned over just a bit to line up his shot he felt a warmth against his back.

"You'll never even get close if you try to hit it like that," Keith half-whispered a little too close to Lance's ear than he was comfortable with. "Let me show you."

Keith maneuvered himself around Lance and took hold of his hand holding the pool stick and adjusted his grip. He moved Lance's other arm into place to steady the cue, helping Lance line up the shot.

"Now shoot," Keith said, releasing Lance's arms but not moving away.

Lance did just that, body moving pretty much on autopilot after that heart attack inducing display. To his surprise, the ball went in with no trouble, the cue ball rolling harmlessly away across the table. Lance let out a sharp breath.

"Woah," he breathed. After a few moments of awe, the excitement set in. "That was awesome!" Lance shouted, twisting around to face Keith, not realizing how close he still was.

Keith took a small step back to avoid being knocked over by Lance's enthusiastic movements. Lance wore the biggest grin on his face, one that brought a slight flush to Keith's cheeks. He hadn't seen Lance look so genuinely excited in a while. Sure, competition always brought out Lance's more playful side, a childlike glee that lit him up like the Sun. But this was something different.

Lance quickly realized his mistake as he came face to face with a smirking Keith only about a foot away from himself. He did his best not to let the proximity affect him, though.

"Told you," Keith teased, leaning in just a hair closer. The slight blush it brought about was more than worth it.

Keith had only meant to tease Lance a little. But as he was about to turn away someone bumped into him from behind and Keith found himself about two inches from Lance's face.

Neither of them moved. Neither of them breathed. Blue eyes stared into gray and the world around them faded. The voices of the bar patrons around them sounded distant, distorted. Nothing mattered except the tiny bubble the two paladins found themselves in, shoved up against the edge of a pool table in a crowded bar on a Friday night.

Lance watched as Keith's eyes traveled slowly around his face. Torturously slow. Hesitant, even.

Keith knew this was wrong. He should pull away, laugh it off. Pretend it was all a joke and get back to the game. But he couldn't. He couldn't force himself to look away from the stunning boy before him. Lance was dazzling with his ocean blue eyes and that soft, sun-kissed skin, not an imperfection to be seen. Lance's obsession with skin care wouldn't allow for it.

Keith's hands were gripping the edge of the pool table on either side of Lance. He'd barely managed to catch himself before he'd collided with Lance completely. This put him in a very compromising position, caging Lance between himself and the pool table.

Keith shifted slightly and Lance drew in a sharp breath. The flush already present spread even further turning the tips of his ears bright red. Keith couldn't help but find the whole thing just a little adorable. For someone so cocky, Lance sure was timid when it came to intimacy. A fact he'd file away for a later date.

Lost in a daze and spurred on by the heat of the moment, Keith leaned in, just a little. He touched his nose to Lance's, closing his eyes as he felt one of Lance's hands snake up his arm to his shoulder.

Lance didn't know what he was doing. His mind was full of fog and his body had developed a mind of its own. He was hot all over, and the way Keith was rubbing his nose so gently against his own, inching closer and closer, was doing something to him that made him feel like he had electricity coursing through his veins.

 _I want this_ , a voice in the back of Lance's mind whispered. A part of his subconscious he had yet to fully deal with or accept. A part of him that deep down he knew had been growing for some time now.

They were so close. Keith could taste Lance's breath, feel his heartbeat hammering against his own chest. Fingers gripped his shoulder like a lifeline. One hand moved to Lance's hip, gently, pulling him just a hair closer.

"Hey, guys!" An all too familiar voice rang out across the bar, excited and far too loud.

Keith and Lance sprang apart so fast that Keith crashed into the guy behind him, sending them both to the floor. Keith helped the other guy up, stammering apologies as they both got to their feet.

When Keith turned back to where Lance had been, he was gone. His eyes flickered to the door where Hunk and Pidge had just come in just in time to see the flash of a brown jacket whip around the corner as the door slammed shut with a bang. To Keith, it was as loud as a gunshot.

 _So much for not pushing._


	3. Spidey's Got Nothing On You

"Lance, could I speak to you for a tick?"

Lance looked up from his desk to see Allura hovering over him. She looked sad, maybe a little uncomfortable. Lance's brows drew together, concerned.

"Yeah, of course," he replied.

This really wasn't a great time if Lance was being honest. He was still rattled over what had happened at the bar last night. He was having trouble wrapping his mind around it. Keith had been _so close_. And that look in his eyes… It sent shivers up and down Lance's spine just thinking about it. Had Keith really been about to kiss him? More than that, had Lance actually _wanted_ him to?

He couldn't exactly deny the way he'd responded. He'd hardly pushed Keith away. If anything he'd encouraged him, spurred him on even. Everything about his body language had been giving Keith the green light to close that gap. And honestly, Lance was a little disappointed that he hadn't.

He'd have to have a talk with Hunk and Pidge about reading the moment and knowing when not to open their big mouths.

His brain was a jumbled mess, and now Allura wanted to talk to him? And with that worried look on her face. Lance's anxiety level was somewhere around 11 at this point.

The two of them walked down the halls of the Garrison in silence for a while. Allura seemed unsure of how to approach whatever it was she wanted to talk to him about. They reached the landing pad outside where the Lions resided and she stopped and turned to face Lance, determination set in her soft features. She always seemed to feel more at ease around the Lions.

"Lance, I want to apologize."

Lance stared blankly at the princess, mind trying to process her words.

"What could you possibly have to apologize for?"

"I haven't been considerate of your feelings as of late. I've been selfish, and I feel bad about it."

Lance was still having trouble comprehending Allura's meaning.

Allura could see Lance still wasn't getting it. She could practically see the little gears turning in his head. She smiled.

"I've seen the way you've been looking at Keith lately. I should have noticed it earlier, but I was blinded by my own desires." Allura approached Lance, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. She could feel the tense muscles underneath. His entire body was rigid. "I just wanted you to know that I'm not going to pursue you any longer. It is clear that the feelings you once had for me have faded. Your friendship is more important to me than anything, and I only want you to be happy."

There was no longer any sadness in Allura's eyes. The look she now wore was one of warmth and acceptance. Her feelings for Lance had been growing, there was no denying that. But as Allura watched Keith and Lance over the past few weeks, she'd realized that her feelings were not the same as those that the two of them clearly shared for one another. She wanted to politely bow out, in case Lance was holding back with Keith for her sake.

Lance still hadn't spoken. He had this gobsmacked look on his face that was honestly pretty funny. Not that Allura would let her amusement show, lest she embarrass Lance further.

Allura leaned into Lance, giving him a friendly hug. She pressed a light kiss to his cheek, then pulled back, a sunny smile on her beautiful face. Then she was gone, leaving Lance to stare into the open expanse of desert beyond and ponder over their conversation. If you could call Allura talking, while Lance gaped like a fish, a conversation.

 _What the hell just happened?_

X

Lance was in a daze. There was so much new information for him to process that it felt like his brain was going to explode. It was affecting his daily life. He was spacing out in class and during drills - when he wasn't doing his best to avoid being alone with Keith that is.

He'd made sure that the only interactions the two of them had were around other people. He wasn't ready to talk to Keith about the near-kiss. Not yet. He needed to talk to somebody, though. Lance worked through problems best when he had someone to use as a sounding board. Usually that person was Keith, but clearly, that wouldn't work in this case. There was one other person he could confide in, though.

Shiro heard a knock at his door. He rolled over to check the time. 2 am. He groaned, rolling out of bed and trudging toward the door as another soft knock rang out.

He cracked the door open just enough to see who it was.

"It's the middle of the night, Lance," Shiro said groggily.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just that I…"

The look on Lance's face told Shiro all he needed to know. He let out a sigh and opened the door wider.

"Come in."

Shiro sat patiently on his bed and listened as Lance recanted every detail of that night at the bar. He couldn't sit still. Lance paced frantically around the room as he spoke, his voice sometimes rising to a pitch that Shiro swore only dogs could hear.

"Lance, you need to calm down," Shiro said gently, getting up and placing a comforting hand on Lance's shoulder. It stopped him from moving if nothing else.

"I don't know what to do." Lance finally sat down in Shiro's desk chair, spinning from side to side. Lance fidgeted when he was anxious or nervous, he couldn't help it.

"What do you _want_ to do, Lance?"

Lance wasn't really sure how to answer that question. "I've never felt like this before. I've never felt this way about a guy before."

"Felt like what, Lance?" _When did I turn into a therapist?_

"Like-like… I don't know," Lance groaned, running a hand through his hair. He was frustrated. The way he was feeling was hard for him to define. "It's… It's like how I felt about Allura," he admitted sheepishly.

"Felt? As in past tense?"

Lance frowned. He thought back to the talk with Allura earlier. It had brought certain things to light, things he was still having trouble wrapping his head around. He understood why his interactions with Allura had felt so off lately, so awkward.

"I don't know. I just - it's not the same. Six months ago I would have sworn up and down that Allura was the love of my life. I would have done anything for her - I still would, just not in the same way." It was a reluctant admission, but his chest felt a little lighter after the words were out. "I don't think I love her that way anymore."

Shiro just watched Lance for a moment. He looked more at ease, but there was obviously more weighing on his mind.

"Do you love Keith?"

Lance's head snapped up so fast his neck cracked. He was going to feel that for the next couple days. How could Shiro just ask something like that? So casually? It wasn't that simple.

Shiro took in the panicked look on Lance's face and decided that perhaps that hadn't been the best approach. He tried again. "You've always considered Keith your rival, has that changed?"

"No." The answer came quickly and effortlessly. "That guy still gets on my nerves, always trying to show me up. I bet he thinks he's so much better than me."

Shiro chuckled. "But you do see him differently than before, right?"

"I mean, yeah. He still bugs me, but it's not the same. I actually kind of look forward to the bickering. Seeing Keith all riled up, it's kind of endearing."

 _There it is._

"I think you need to accept that you might like Keith as more than a friend or a rival."

"But I - I've never," he paused for a moment, the continued. "I've never felt like this about a guy before. What does that mean? Am I-"

"It's okay to like both, you know," Shiro said, interrupting Lance's babbling before he could work himself into a panic.

"What?"

"You liked Allura, and that's fine. You like Keith now, and that's okay, too. It doesn't have to be one way or the other." Shiro wished someone had been there to tell him that the way he felt was okay, that there was nothing wrong with him when he was younger. He'd never had any doubts about who he was, but people could be cruel. He didn't want Lance to feel like he had to hide.

Lance took that in. He was quiet for a long while, processing things, working through his own emotions. He hadn't realized how afraid he'd been. How much he'd needed to hear those words. _It's okay._

"Thanks, Shiro," Lance said finally. He looked more relaxed, more like _Lance_. Shiro smiled.

"Anytime."

X

Lance did a lot of soul-searching that night. He didn't end up getting to sleep until around five, which meant he got a whopping three hours of sleep before he was rudely awakened at eight o'clock on a freaking Sunday.

"This better be good." If looks could kill.

"It is." Pidge stood in the doorway, devilish smirk firmly in place as she stared up at a very cranky Lance. Lance stared at the little gremlin through slitted eyes, deciding whether to trust her or not. It was always a gamble with this one.

"Fine."

Lance got dressed and did his best to tame the circles under his eyes. He followed Pidge down the corridors of the Garrison. "Where exactly are we going?"

"The Hangar."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Lance groaned and crossed his arms over his chest in a show of annoyance. He was too tired for this.

He heard muffled voices as they approached the hangar. They seemed to be arguing, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Pidge swiped her access card and the doors to the hangar bay opened with a mechanical whine. The grin on her face as she motioned Lance inside was concerning. Still, Lance went with it. He was too tired to argue at this point.

"Hunk, this isn't funny!"

 _Is that Keith?_

"I don't know, man. It seems pretty funny."

Lance stepped around one of the fighter jets and the first thing he saw was Hunk hunched over, laughing vigorously. Next, he saw Keith.

He tried to hold it in, he really did, but the laughter bubbled up in his chest and refused to be withheld. Keith's head whipped around in Lance's direction. First, he looked shocked, then a mix of anger and embarrassment took over.

"How?" That was all Lance could get out between bouts of laughter.

Keith had somehow managed to get his foot tangled up in the belts of one of the fighter jets. In attempting to get out of the cockpit, he'd tripped, and was now hanging upside down against the side of the jet. The position didn't allow for him to reach his foot to free himself, and Hunk and Pidge had apparently thought it more important to find more people to laugh at him before helping.

"Told you it was good," Pidge said, snickering at his side. Lance was no longer upset with having been woken up. This was so _very_ worth it.

Lance approached the plane, stopping beside Hunk and leaning against the hull a couple feet from where Keith was dangling. "How's it hanging, Samurai?" Lance teased, smirking deviously.

Keith groaned. "Wow, nice one, Lance. Very funny." Lance was having a field day with this.

"Really, though. _How?_ "

"Like I'd tell you," Keith replied with a tone something akin to a kid sticking his tongue out in defiance. "Can someone get me down now? Please?"

Pidge and Hunk looked at each other, shrugged, then turned and walked out, conversing casually as if everything was totally fine. Keith gaped as his teammates retreated. _Traitors!_

Even Lance thought that was a little cold. He turned back towards Keith, whose face was starting to turn funny colors. _Oh, right. Should probably help with that._

"Calm down, Mullet. I'm coming," Lance said as he climbed up into the cockpit. Keith's ankle was wrapped up pretty thoroughly. How he managed this level of clutsiness was beyond him, especially since Keith was usually the picture of grace, unlike Lance. Not that he'd ever admit that.

Lance was in a pretty awkward position as he worked to free Keith's foot; half in and half out of the cockpit. As he was finishing up, his foot slipped against the side of the hull, bringing both of them crashing to the ground.

Keith groaned. He knew how to fall, but all that hanging upside down had made him light-headed, so the impact had been a little worse than it usually would have been. Keith went to sit up, hand going to the back of his head where he'd impacted the concrete. It wasn't bad. He might have a pretty gnarly headache for the rest of the day, but he didn't think he needed to worry about a concussion.

He stopped mid-motion when he felt the solid weight holding him down. Keith's eyes snapped open, landing on the head of brown hair just below his chin. Lance had landed right on top of him.

 _Oh crap_ , Lance thought as he realized the position he was in. He couldn't bring himself to look up at Keith yet, though he knew the older boy was definitely staring at him. He'd felt Keith try to get up. He'd also felt it when Keith realized where Lance had ended up. Neither of them were moving. Neither of them were speaking. Shallow, uneven breaths flooded the space between them.

Lance dared a glance at Keith. Bad idea.

Keith was red as a tomato from his ears to his collar, eyes wide, but not panicked. No, this was something else. Embarrassed? No. Uncomfortable? Not quite. Keith's eyes flicked down to Lance's lips and back up, almost too quick for Lance to notice. But notice he did.

Lance's mind flashed back to his conversation with Shiro last night and all the introspection that had taken place after. He swallowed. Time to test a theory.

Lance caught Keith's gaze, holding it for a long moment, searching. Keith made no move to look away, no attempt to escape. Lance leaned in, slow, hesitant. Keith's expression softened, eyelids going heavy as his gaze flitted between Lance's eyes and mouth. Keith leaned up a little more. He was almost sitting, but not quite, still leaning back at kind of an awkward angle.

Lance moved one hand from the ground to Keith's hip, then to his lower back. He pulled Keith a little closer, pressing their chests together. Keith's hand snaked up Lance's arm, coming to rest on the back of Lance's neck. Lance shivered at the contact. Keith smiled, encouraged by the fact that not only was Lance responding to him, but Lance had actually _initiated_ this.

They were so close, eyes locked and breathing heavily. Keith had moved up the rest of the way, putting them both in a much more comfortable - and advantageous - position. Lance was firmly planted in Keith's lap, staring down at the raven-haired boy, utterly hypnotized by those beautiful grey eyes staring back at him. He smiled back, moving one hand into Keith's hair, the other bunched up in the back of Keith's black t-shirt.

He was still hesitating. This was so new to him, and nagging away at the back of his mind was the fear that, should he go forward with this, he could end up messing everything up. Lance was unsure about a lot of things, but one thing he could be sure of was that he liked having Keith in his life, and he'd do just about anything to keep him there.

Keith had no such reservations. He saw Lance struggling, how nervous he was. That patented bravado that Lance sported pretty much 24/7 was hidden beneath layers of uncertainty. But Keith knew Lance, and sometimes all he needed was a little push.

Keith yanked Lance forward that last inch and pressed their lips together. It was a chaste kiss, but one heavy with passion begging to be released.

Lance melted, both hands going into Keith's hair and pulling him closer if that was even possible at this point. Keith smiled into this kiss, tilting his head and molding their lips together with a bit more force.

"Hey, Keith! Pidge said you were in here. I need - oh! Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

Keith and Lance were like shrapnel, moving several feet apart in seconds. They were breathing heavily, and neither of them had taken their eyes off of the other. They were flushed, and hot, and honestly? They were kind of pissed.

Shiro stood beside one of the fighter jets, hand covering his eyes like a kid who'd walked in on something he shouldn't have. Which was pretty much exactly what he'd done. There he was, trying to help those two figure out how in love with each other they were, and he'd just walked in and ruined a very important moment. He was so going to hear about this later.

Keith got to his feet, brushing himself off and running a hand through his ruffled hair. He was still blushing a deep red. "What's up?" he asked, trying to sound casual like he hadn't just been caught sucking face with his best friend.

"Uh, I just needed your input on the scheduling for the -"

"Oh, shit. I completely forgot."

"It can wait until later."

"No, it really can't. I've been putting it off and if I don't do it now I'll just forget again."

Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair again. It was a nervous habit. Could Shiro possibly have worse timing? He glanced over at Lance who was still firmly planted on the floor. He wasn't looking at Keith or Shiro. His gaze was fixed to the floor like it had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world. Keith smiled.

"Need a hand, Sharpshooter?"

Lance looked up to find Keith hovering over him, smiling gently. Lance stared for a moment longer than necessary, captivated. Keith was still a little flushed, and despite his best efforts, his hair was still mussed from Lance's wandering hands. He returned the smile and took his hand, letting Keith pull him up off the concrete.

They stood like that for a long moment, Lance's hand still in Keith's. Neither of them really wanted to let go, but Keith had things he needed to do and the longer they stood there together the deeper Lance's blush was getting.

Keith reluctantly dropped Lance's hand and moved to follow Shiro. He stopped about halfway to the door and turned back to Lance.

"Hey, Lance."

Lance glanced over at Keith. A playful smirk was pulling at the edges of Keith's lips.

"See you later," Keith promised, then winked at Lance before turning and following Shiro out of the hangar.

Lance watched the pair disappear around the corner, eyes wide and a fresh blush tinting his cheeks. Oh _boy._


	4. Finally

That was twice. _Twice_ that they'd been interrupted. It was like the universe was determined to make this as difficult as possible. And Lance had actually been _trying_ this time.

One good thing had come out of that whole situation, though. Keith had kissed him. _Really_ kissed him. It had been short and over way too soon, but that kiss had made Lance's head spin and his legs feel like jelly. If he hadn't already been on the floor, he's sure he would have collapsed. Lance couldn't even remember why he'd been hesitating in the first place.

The only problem was, now he wanted more. He wanted desperately to see Keith, to talk to him about what had happened in the bar and in the hangar bay. But Keith was swamped helping Shiro out and he'd barely seen him since they'd kissed. That little wink Keith had given Lance had been encouraging enough, but the longer they were apart the more time Lance's mind had to come up with one awful scenario after another.

By the time a week had passed Lance was in a full-on panic.

Keith had sent him a text asking to meet up at the bar for their weekly pool tournament. Nothing unusual about that, but the very thought of being face to face with Keith again tied Lance's stomach up in knots. He couldn't tell whether the feeling was good or bad, but it definitely made him anxious.

He wasn't going to blow Keith off, no way. But, should something go horribly wrong, he decided to bring Hunk and Pidge along with him. Just in case...

He did his best to make himself look as good as possible before leaving for the bar, but all that primping didn't calm his nerves the way it usually did. By the time the three of them arrived at the bar, Lance was a nervous wreck, and it showed.

"You look like crap."

Lance glared at Keith who was leaning up against their pool table - the one in the back corner of the bar that they always reserved for their games. They preferred the quiet. Lance flipped Keith the bird, not willing to dignify that comment with a verbal response - mostly because he was afraid his voice would shake. Keith laughed it off and tossed Lance a pool cue from off the wall. Lance caught it, his reflexes sharp as ever despite his nerves. Always battle-ready. War did that to you.

They played for about an hour, Lance actually managing to win one game - out of four, but that was beside the point. Neither one of them mentioned the hangar, nor the incident at this very bar before that. Lance was slowly driving himself nuts with the self-destructive tirade going on inside his head.

"Lance."

Lance vaguely registered his name being called but was too lost in thought to really acknowledge it.

 _"Lance."_

Still, Lance ignored the voice, chewing on his nails in a nervous habit he hadn't indulged since middle school.

"Lance!"

Keith grabbed Lance's shoulders, spinning him around to face him. Lance's eyes widened as he focused back in on the real world. The first thing he saw was Keith's stormy grey eyes, clouded with concern staring back at him. He was way too close.

Lance jumped back, limbs flapping about in a spastic manner not uncommon for Lance, but a little more hectic than usual. Keith watched him as he regained his balance, eyes going to the floor, cheeks flushing bright pink.

Now Keith was worried. Despite his little display before walking out of the hangar last week, Keith had been too afraid to bring up the incident since Lance had arrived at the bar. He'd spent the last week going over that morning in his head, replaying it over and over again, processing. He was sure Lance was leaning in to kiss him. He _knew_ that was what he'd wanted. But he couldn't suppress that little voice in the back of his head that told him he'd screwed up. Keith valued his friendship with Lance, far more than he was willing to outwardly admit. If he ruined what they'd so painstakingly built because of a stupid crush, he'd never forgive himself.

Lance tried to laugh off his bizarre behavior, but he knew Keith wasn't buying it. Keith had always been especially perceptive when it came to Lance. He noticed things that no one else did. Sometimes things Lance really wished he wouldn't notice.

They continued their tournament, but the atmosphere between them was clearly strained. Once they'd finished their final game for the night, they returned the balls to the counter and left the bar. Cool air washed across Lance's overheated body as he walked out into the gravel parking lot that surrounded their little country bar.

Lance closed his eyes, letting the cool night air momentarily distract him from his problems. He leaned his head back, breathing in the smell of clay and sand from the desert that surrounded them.

"Lance…"

Lance glanced over at Keith, feeling slightly less like he wanted to throw up now that he'd taken a second to just _breathe_ for the first time that night. Keith wasn't looking at him, his gaze focused off in the distance somewhere. He looked upset, and Lance really didn't like seeing him like that.

"I'm sorry."

Their gazes shot towards one another as the two of them tried to speak at the same time. Lance couldn't help but laugh, which brought a small smile to Keith's face as well.

"You go first," Lance said.

Keith turned to face Lance head-on, stance closed off but a determined expression set against his porcelain features.

"Look, if I misread the situation last week," Keith started, trying to find the right words. "I-I didn't mean to push you into something you didn't want. We can just forget about it, go back to how we were before. Your friendship is important to me and -"

"Keith, slow down. I'm the one who goes off on tangents, remember? Don't go stealing my thing," Lance said, stopping Keith mid-rant. It was for his own good. Lance let Keith's words sink in. All of his uncertainty, the nerves, and anxiety he'd been feeling over the past week - Keith had been going through the same thing. He wasn't alone in this.

"You didn't push me into anything," Lance continued, approaching Keith and placing a hand on each of his shoulders. "I don't know exactly what this is. But I do know I don't want to go back to the way things were before. Hell, after that kiss, I'm not sure I could," Lance finished, a comforting smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Keith had always been a pretty 'fly by the seat of your pants' kind of guy. When he heard Lance say those words, quelling the doubt and panic that had been bubbling up inside of him, he just sort of… reacted.

Keith surged forward, taking Lance's face between his hands and kissing him like his life depended on it. Lance didn't hesitate in responding, wrapping his arms around Keith's neck and pulling him in close. It was like puzzle pieces falling into place. All of Lance's uncertainty, the never-ending questions running rampant in his mind ever since he'd started to look at Keith in a different light, none of it mattered anymore.

Keith smiled into the kiss, sliding his hands from Lance's face and down to his hips. He'd been unsure of his feelings towards Lance when all of this started, and they still had a lot to figure out, but he was sure of one thing. Having Lance here in his arms felt right. Every little touch sent electric currents running through his veins. He could have stayed like that forever.

Someone cleared their throat behind the two paladins. They jumped, turning to face the source of the noise. Pidge stood there, glowering up at them like the evil little gremlin she was.

"Look, I'm glad you two have stopped pretending you're not totally in love with each other and all, but if you two are done sucking face, the rest of us would like to leave now."

They'd been blocking the exit, standing smack dab in the middle of the narrow path leading out into the parking lot. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem, but it had rained recently, which meant everything but this thin concrete path was either underwater or slick with mud.

The two of them blushed a deep crimson and moved out of Pidge's way. She huffed and strode past them. Hunk followed close behind, shooting Keith and Lance a thumbs up as he passed. They watched their friends pile into Hunk's car, a clear signal that they were ready to go, Lance or no Lance.

The pair looked back at each other and promptly burst out laughing. Once they'd calmed down enough, Lance jogged over to the car and told Hunk and Pidge he was going to catch a ride back with Keith. Pidge waved him off, not particularly caring as long as she made it back at some point that night. Hunk congratulated him, pulling him into a really awkward hug through the open window of the car. The two of them drove off as Keith walked up beside Lance.

"Ready to go, Sharpshooter?"

Keith slipped his hand into Lance's, lacing their fingers together. Lance smiled over at the older boy, squeezing his hand gently.

"Yeah."

They strolled hand in hand over to Keith's bike. Keith tossed Lance a helmet and slipped his own over his head. He threw his leg over the bike and started it up, revving the engines. He might have been showing off a little. Sue him.

Lance hopped on behind Keith, wrapping his arms firmly around Keith's middle. He leaned his chest against Keith's back as they pulled out of the parking lot and out onto the road. He'd been on Keith's bike before, a few times actually. But this time it felt different. Lance felt exhilarated as the wind whipped around him, the empty desert scenery passing by in a blur of muted colors illuminated only by faint moonlight peeking through scattered clouds.

He could feel Keith's heartbeat through his back, and it was a strangely comforting feeling. One he had trouble putting a name to, but oh so familiar.

It kind of felt like _home_.


End file.
